AI Performance Engineer.
Billings.
$163,000
median salary, 12% below the national average
$123,000 to $213,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A AI Performance Engineer in Billings earns a median of $163,000 in 2026. That is 12% below the national average. The range runs from $123,000 to $213,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Demonstrated ability to reduce inference costs and latency in production AI systems is the primary compensation driver.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $147,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$106,000
to $130,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$139,000
to $171,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$179,000
to $212,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$204,000
to $253,000
Salary trend
+8% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $77,000 to the total package.
Base
$163,000
Equity
$47,000
Bonus
$20,000
Signing
$10,000
Estimated total: $240,000
How Billings compares
Billings, MT
$163,000
Cost of living: 11% below average
National Average
$185,000
Billings is $22,000 below
AI Performance Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Billings
What you should know
The AI Performance Engineer landscape in Billings is not what most salary sites will tell you. Billings is Montana's largest city and economic hub, driven by energy, agriculture, and healthcare. The city serves as a regional center for the Northern Plains. Remote work has brought a wave of tech professionals seeking Montana's quality of life, gradually diversifying the local job market. Demonstrated ability to reduce inference costs and latency in production AI systems is the primary compensation driver. Engineers who can quantify millions of dollars in compute savings through optimization earn 12 to 20% premiums. Proficiency in GPU profiling, memory optimization, batch scheduling, and model compression techniques like quantization and distillation significantly increases market value.
Performance engineers or ML engineers earning $115,000 to $150,000 advance to this AI performance role at $140,000 to $242,000. Senior AI performance engineers earn $190,000 to $265,000 before progressing to Principal Performance Engineer or AI Infrastructure Architect at $230,000 to $300,000. In Billings, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 11% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation reaches $220,000 to $410,000 with equity, cost-savings bonuses that can add 15 to 30% of base, and performance milestone incentives. Some companies structure compensation with direct ties to compute cost reduction achievements, creating uncapped bonus potential. And on the tax side: montana has a top income tax rate of 5.9% but no state sales tax. Billings has no city income tax. The no sales tax benefit helps offset the state income tax. When someone quotes you $163,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate remote work arrangements. Billings employers are increasingly open to remote and hybrid setups to attract talent from larger metros. The range for AI Performance Engineers in Billings runs from $123,000 to $213,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A AI Engineer in Billings earns $162,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Billings is Chief AI Officer at $287,000
Common questions.
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